Pope grants interview to Spanish daily El País

January 23, 2017

Vatican Radio

In an interview published by Spanish language newspaper El País, Pope Francis said he is most concerned with those in the Church – Bishops, priests, nuns, laymen – who are ‘anesthetized,’ rather than those who are asleep. Those who are anesthetized, he said, “sell out to worldliness.” An anesthetized person, he said, “is not in touch with people, he protects himself against reality.” When such people are in the Church, he said, they “should pack [their] bags and retire.”

Once again, the Holy Father covered a wide range of topics in a newspaper interview, touching again on subjects that are near and dear to his heart – including the “world war” currently being waged “in pieces”; the problem of migration, which involves both welcoming and integrating migrants; the problems of embracing ideologies; and the problems of corruption, especially in the modern world, which worships the “god of money.”

Pope Francis was asked in particular about current world events, including the election of Donald Trump as president of the United States. “I think we must wait and see,” he said with regard to the new US administration. “I don’t like to get ahead of myself nor judge people prematurely. We will see how he acts, what he does, and then I will have an opinion.” He warned against premature reactions: “Being afraid or rejoicing beforehand, because of something that might happen, is, in my view, unwise,” he said.

The Pope had words of praise for his successor, Paul VI, whom he called an unappreciated martyr. He also praised his collaborators in the Roman curia, saying some of them are true saints. The Pope also spoke at some length about what he called the “middle class of sanctity”: mothers, fathers, families, ordinary people, with their sins and their virtues, who strive to lead a Christian life.

The interview with Pope Francis also touched on the Vatican’s role as a mediator in diplomatic conflicts, with the Holy Father emphasizing the importance of dialogue. The Church’s relations with various countries, including Spain, Venezuela and Colombia, and China, also came up in the conversation.

At the close of the interview, asked about what he hopes for from the conclave that will elect his successor, Pope Francis said, “I want it to be Catholic.” He said he wasn’t sure if he would see that election – a reference to the possibility of resigning – or if God would “carry [him] away” before that.

Like this:

Related

Fr. Pollitt was born in Pretoria, South Africa. He lived in Port Elizabeth for a short while but grew up in Johannesburg. He studied Philosophy, holds Bachelors of Arts majoring in Sociology and Socio-Cultural Anthropology, and a Masters Degree in Theology. He was ordained a priest in February 2006
Before joining the team of the Jesuit Institute he was Parish Priest of Holy Trinity - the Jesuit staffed multicultural Parish and University/Hospital Chaplaincy in downtown Johannesburg. During his time there he initiated numerous ministries for the marginalised and tried to implement the Jesuit vision of a faith that does justice. He worked for the Johannesburg-based Catholic Station Radio Veritas. He serves as National Chaplain to Catholic Engaged Encounter in South Africa. He has served on the advisory board of the Social Communications Department as well as the Justice & Peace Gender Desk of the Southern African Catholic Bishop’s Conference. He has also done retreat work in South Africa and at the Jesuit Retreat Centre in Los Altos, California.
Russell is interested in the impact that communications technology has on society and spirituality. He has conducted numerous workshops in South Africa on social media and the human person. He is interested in the relationship between faith and society and the contribution that faith can make to public policy. He is also interested in South African Politics and the analysis of issues in the Catholic Church.
He has written numerous articles for newspapers and magazines, including Daily Maverick, The Natal Witness, The Southern Cross and the USA weekly Jesuit Magazine, America. He has done numerous interviews for Talk Radio 702, 567 Cape Talk, SAFM, Jacaranda and Vatican Radio. He has appeared on SABC TV and the eNCA News Channel. He is the author of Now is the Favourable Time and co-author of Rejoice Mountains and Hills! and Why do you weep? In his spare time he enjoys running and has completed a number of marathons. He has also run the ProNutro AfricanX twice, this is South Africa’s premium 90km three day trail run.

Our Mission Statement

The Jesuit Institute is dedicated to encouraging debate on current social and religious issues from a faith perspective and to stimulating critical reflection, research and dialogue.

We work with people of various faith backgrounds and none, from the business, political and educational sectors. We are keen to engage with all who have an interest in improving our society.

The Jesuit Institute provides reflection, training and critical analysis of contemporary social and religious issues from a Catholic perspective. We are motivated by the service of faith and the promotion of justice.